Austin Stands with Standing Rock - Bank Breakup Protest

Austinites: did you know your money is being used to fund the Dakota Access and Trans Pecos Pipelines?

Chase Bank provides $312.5 million in credit to the Energy Transfer Partner family of companies responsible for DAPL? The City of Austin has at least $1 million* invested with JP Morgan Chase. Possibly much more.

We saw a historic day yesterday when the Seattle city council finance committe voted to advance an ordinance to end their city's $3 billion financial relationship with Wells Fargo. The divestment moement in solidarity with water protectors got this major win with Seattle, and it will continue across the country in cities like Minneapolis -- and, with your help, in Austin!

It's the start of a movement to divest Austin’s money from Chase and other banks that back these socially and environmentally destructive projects. We instead want our money to be invested responsibly in the name of community development. In banks and credit unions that provide financial services to economically marginalized communities and individuals, whose loans support jobs, housing, and social services in these communities.

Our first action will happen in less than two weeks: a mass “break up” with one of the banks funding the pipelines. Think "flashmob meets the most righteous public dumping of your entire life." MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW so be sure to invite your friends to this event page!

But here are the basics of how you can help PACK THE BANK:

Who should come?

1: Are you a Chase Bank account holders willing to close (or start the process of closing) accounts as part of our action?

2: Are you willing to help us pack the Chase Bank lobby to disrupt business as usual? WE NEED YOU. OMG, do we need you. We need LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE. At least 500. Preferably 1,0000 or more. (We want any regular bank customer who isn’t divesting or protesting the bank to face a packed-like-sardines bank that makes them prefer to come back later.)

IF THIS IS YOU, please plan to attend a training on the 11th in non-violent direct action to help ensure you feel safe. Details on this training coming soon. If you can’t make a training but will be attending the protest with friends, ensure one of your friends attends the training and can share what they learned with y’all.

Note: This will be a NON-VIOLENT, FAMILY FRIENDLY action. We will be respectful to all bank staff and law enforcement. Nevertheless, training will help you feel comfortable and confident which is critical to the action’s success.

3: Would you like to show up and support?

IF THIS IS YOU, we need you! We want Chase and the City to know that we stand united against corporate greed and destructive practices. This event is for the entire community and even if you don’t want to go inside the bank, your participation and support are welcome. We can use your help getting attention for the action -- making noise, educating folks walking past, and collecting “break-up Valentines” that we’ll deliver to the city.

Let’s use this opportunity to grow our network of local collaboration between individuals and groups working for positive change!

*We know $1 million isn’t a ton, considering Austin’s FY16-17 budget calls for taking in $1.1 billion. We’re working with the city to understand more about its banking practices and develop a comprehensive strategy to target relationships with other banks directly funding DAPL, TPP, and other environmentally and socially catastrophic projects. For now, we know over $1M of city money is in Chase, that’s why we’re starting here.

**”We” right now includes a coalition of organizers representing local groups and we are actively seeking more partners to publicly sign on to this campaign. We are also collaborating with organizations in Austin, in Texas, and in other cities and states where citizens are using the tool of divestment to take a stand for what’s right. IF YOU REPRESENT AN ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD LIKE TO HELP WITH OUR AUSTIN EFFORT, please email hannahuff806@gmail.com.